Fan attachment



May 12, 1936. I s. SIEGEL 2,040,504

FAN ATTACHMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 9, 1955 INVENTOR SAMEE SIEGEL v ATTORNEY wh 12, 1936. SIEGE' 2,@4o,so4

FAN ATTACHMENT Filed Sept. 9, 1935 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR SAMEE SIEGEL ATTORNEY Patented May 12, 1936 UNlTED STATES PATENT FFiE FAN ATTACHMENT Application September 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a fan adapted especially for use in manufacturing establishments.

In factories extreme discomfort is often experienced by the machine operators due to. the heat generated in the plant, especially in hot weather. In textile mills particularly, and in places where sewing machines are employed on both sides of a central driving shaft it has been found to be diificult and expensive to properly agitate the air.

A further difficulty experienced in such plants is the fire hazard caused by the inflammable lint dust collecting on the driving shaft which extends from a driving motor down to the farthermost machine which is linked to the motor either by belting or otherwise. This dust, especially near the motor, may become saturated with oil from the rotating machinery and easily set on fire by the sparks from the commutator of the motor. In one instance, a spark from the commutator set fire to the lint dust on the driving shaft and caused a fire to spread with great rapidity along the whole shaft from sewing machine to sewin machine.

One of the objects of the present invention is to overcome the foregoing difficulties and enable the agitation of the air in such plants in a highly eflicient and inexpensive manner.

Another object is to provide a fan which is readily attachable to and easily removable from a driving shaft, and adjustable along the length of the shaft.

A further object is to enable the stream of air from the blades of the fan to be controlled to travel in any desired direction.

A still further object is to provide a fan for attachment to a driving shaft which occupies little space, is inexpensive to construct, and equipped with a simple removable cover for preventing injury to the limbs of the operator while at the same time not substantially reducing the efficiency of the fan.

A feature of the invention comprises the detachable hub or collar of the fan which enables it to be readily connected to a drive shaft and easily moved over the length of the shaft to any desired position.

A further feature lies in the construction of the. blade support or holder which enables the blade to be secured to the collar and capable of being turned to make any angle with respect to the collar for causing a change in the direction of the air stream from the fan.

A further feature is the hollow head screw used for firmly securing the blade support to the collar. This type of screw requires a special key for turn- 9, 1935, Serial No. 39,741

ing it, and the head of the screw is set below the outer surface of the collar when in position.

Another feature resides in the use of a wire mesh cover for the fan which is easily removable from the fan and does not interfere with the operation of the drive shaft, or the blades of the fan.

In brief, the. fan of the invention comprises a detachable collar to which are secured in removable manner around its periphery paddle-like fan blades capable of adjustment in the collar so as to propel a stream of air at any desired angle. The collar consists of a plurality of sections, preferably two, which fit around the drive shaft for the machinery of the plant and are firmly secured to it by screws, the sections of the collar being easily demountable by removing the screws. Each fan blade consists of a flat wing firmly attached, as by rivets, to a blade support or holder which has a pin fitting into the collar and adapted to be firmly held in position by a hollow head set screw. The pin of the blade support is designed to have a continuous recess at that portion which engages the hollow head set screw, and thus permits the blade to be rotated to any desired position merely by loosening the set screw.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear in the subsequent detailed description which is accompanied by drawings wherein like numerals throughout the figures indicate like parts.

In the drawings Fig. 1 illustrates, in perspective, a fan embodying the principles of the invention attached to a drive shaft below and between two sewing machines which are driven by a motor coupled tothe shaft. Fig. 2 illustrates a side View of the fan showing the details of the collar and blades. Fig. 3 illustrates a front view of the blade and blade support along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the hollow head set screw used in conjunction with the blade support, and Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the fan cover.

Referring to Fig. 1 there is shown a fan in accordance with the invention comprised of a collar consisting of two detachable sections l and 2 to which are attached fan blades 3, each blade being riveted to a blade support or holder 4 secured to the collar sections l, 2. Sections l, 2 fit around and are firmly secured by screws 8' to a drive shaft 5 which is coupled to a motor M for driving a plurality of sewing machines 6, 6 by suitable means such as belting I. In practice, a pair of sewing machines are supported on a table 8 opposite one another with respect to the central drive shaft 5 which is located below the table and between the operators who work on the machines. Other similarly arranged pairs of machines and operators are spaced along the table and shaft every few feet, so that for each motor M and associated drive shaft 5 there may be approximately ten to fourteen machines. For avoiding the possibility of injury to the limbs of the operators who sit on chairs or stools next to each machine, there is provided a wire mesh cover 9, note Fig. 5, which fits over the fan and is provided with a slit having suitable width for enabling the shaft 5 to revolve freely.

The paddle-like blades 3 of the fan, due to their design, agitate the air and provide direct cooling for the two operators on opposite sides of and in the direct path of the air stream from the blades, while the operators to the left and right of the fan also derive benefit from the fan. Each fan thus provides cooling for at least six operators.

The fan 'also removes the inflammable lint dust which settles on the driving shaft 5 from the fabric working machines, and thus obviates a fire hazard. It has been observed that a fan in accordance with the invention, when in operation, removes all lint dust from the shaft on both sides of the fan for a very appreciable distance, consequently preventing the spreading of fire along the shaft.

Fig. 2 illustrates in detail the simple manner in which the fan is constructed. The blades 3 are each attached by means of rivets 9 to a cast iron blade support 4 which fits into the cast iron split collar or hub I, 2. The two sections I, 2 of the collar are each provided with a flange having a threaded aperture therein for enabling the screws 8 to clamp the sections together over the shaft 5. Each blade support has a pin In which fits into a hole in the outer periphery of the collar and is held in place by a set screw II which fastens in the side of the collar and engages the pin l6 at a recessed portion l2, the latter portion being continuous to enable the screw to engage any point on the circumference of the recessed portion. A detailed view of this construction is shown in Fig. 3. In this manner, blade 3 can be turned to deflect the air stream at any angle merely by loosening screw l2 and retightening the screw when the fan blade is given its desired position.

Set screw I I in its preferred form is of the hollow head type shown more adequately in Fig. 4, and requires a special key, not shown, for turning it. The head of screw II is capable of being turned below the outer surface of the collar.

It is to be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited in its use solely in factories where fabric Working machines are employed, but may be used wherever there is a drive shaft to which the sectionalized collar of the fan can be attached, whether the shaft is overhead or near the floor.

What is claimed is:

1. Afan having a collar comprising a plurality of sections adapted to fit around a drive shaft, and a plurality of fan blades for said collar, means for connecting said sections together and securely to said drive shaft, a holder for each blade having a pin adapted to fit into an aperture in said collar, said pins each having a substantially continuous recessed portion, and a set screw for securing each of said pins at said recessed portion to said collar.

2. The combination with a fan having a collar comprising a plurality of sections adapted to fit around a drive shaft, and a plurality of fan blades for said collar, means for connecting said sections together and securely to said drive shaft, a holder for each blade having a pin adapted to fit into an aperture in said collar, said pins each having a substantially continuous recessed portion, and a set screw for securing each of said pins at said recessed portion to said collar, of a wire mesh cover for said fan, said cover having an end adapted for mounting on a support and two slit portions extending from said support to a point beyond said drive shaft, said slits having suitable width whereby said shaft is free to rotate without engaging said cover.

3. A fan having a collar comprising a plurality of sections adapted to fit around a drive shaft, and a plurality of fan blades for said collar, means for connecting said sections together and securely to said drive shaft, a holder for each blade having a pin adapted to fit into an aperture in said collar, said pins each having a substantially continuous recessed portion, and a hollow head set screw for securing each of said pins at said recessed portion to said collar.

4. A fan having a collar comprising a plurality of sections adapted to fit around a drive shaft, and a plurality of fan blades for said collar, means for connecting said sections together and securely to said drive shaft, a holder for each blade having a pin adapted to fit intoan aperture in said collar, said pins each having a recessed portion, and a set screw for securing each of said pins at said recessed portion to said collar.

SAMEE SIEGEL. 

